Easy to make high protein lunches

I have started to make some major changes to my diet and eating habits. I found that it is actually easier to make and implement these changes when living by your self and cooking for your self.  I do shopping just for me.. so no more 'oh maybe I will take some of this home for Prudy'.. hehehe.. It is hard to make these changes though.. as I am finding it pretty hard to look for recipes specially for lunches. And here are the reasons why:

• I want something I can make in bulk and store.  But when I do eat them they should still seem just as fresh! (or almost)
• I want the recipes to be somewhat indianized because I know I will not be able to adhere to fully european meals every lunchtime. So it has to have some of that Indian flavour.
• I dont want to be using many pots and pans partly becuase I dont have any. No blenders/graters etc either.. so quick one pot meals preferred.
• Simple ingredients.. since I dont have a full kitchen and I wont be able to either (since the flat I stay in the kitchen is tiny as!).. no indian stores so need to have readily available ingredients.
• Meals can have some carb in it but need to source some very high in protein ingredients.

Anyway after much research, trial and error.. I have come up with two recipes that fit all of the above mentioned criteria.  The major ingredients being soya chunks (like those nutralla nuggest) and chickpeas.  Doing some online research, soya chunks actually have a lot of protein! I never realised. And chickpeas although a bit high in carbs, most of the carbs are in the form of fibre rather than sugars and they are also higher in protein than other lentils. So first recipe because there is lots of protein in soya chunks and not much carbs, I am adding brown rice to it. Since every meal needs to be 40-40-20 (protein-carb-fat).  The second recipe only chickpeas used as major ingredient since it has carbs and protein.

 

First recipe, soya chunks and brown rice pilau:

• Using spray oil I lightly grease the bottom of the pressure cooker, add in onions, chopped tomato, coriander powder, cumin, chopped chillies, chopped ginger and garlic, salt.. (the usual basic spices).
• Cool the masala/onion/tomato mixture well
• Add in pre-soaked soya chunks (I love them so I add liberally :)) and pre-soaked brown rice. I dont add in much brown rice, although the recipe says its a pilau (which usually is more rice than vegies.. its more like soya chunks and mix veg with sprikling of rice)
• At this point I also add in chopped brocolli, chopped carrots and peas (or any other vegetables I have in the fridge, like mushrooms, capsicum)
• Mix everything, add in water (twice the amount to brown rice since there are heaps of veges too) and pressure cook it all together.
• Add chopped coriander at the end and store in containers.

 

Second recipe, chana chaat (chickpeas)

• Cook chickpeas separately in pressure cooker. Can cook with a piece of cinammon stick and black cardomom to add some flavour.
• Chop onions, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum (and anything else you think will go with chickpeas)
• Drain the chickpeas well, add chopped ingredients and mix well.
• Add chaat masala, little lime juice and chopped coriander.

Sunday and Wednesday evenings are my cooking days, so I make enough for three lunches and store in the fridge.  The thing with these recipes is that they taste alright if I reheat and eat (I dont reheat the chana chat, just bring it to room temperature and eat).  Because they are vegie I dont have to worry abt it going bad etc like for meats.

 

Now the challenge is to find some similar recipes for Dinners! Dinner will be extra hard since carb content will have to be very low...

 

Any suggestions girlies.. on similar lunch/dinner recipes that fulfil the above criteria!? Help needed!! :)